Claims Ethiopia Manipulates U.N. Against Eritrea

It must investigate the erroneous fabrications and allegations that have been presented by Ethiopia and its handlers and reject any calls for further injustices against the State of Eritrea and its people.

[Global: Africa]

How ironic that the very organization that is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development is the same Organization that is being asked to stop Eritrea’s development.

Ethiopia and its allies are once again at the UN Security Council, attempting to get another illegal, unfair and unjust resolution adopted by the Security Council. Emboldened by the diplomatic, financial, political and military shield and support it receives from its handlers, it is now seeking complete strangulation of the Eritrean economy and sanctions against the Eritrean people, including the Eritrean Diaspora. Ethiopia and the US are using Gabon and Nigeria, the two African states on the Council to sponsor the resolution against Eritrea on their behalf.

The Ethiopia led Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD) is proposing sanctions against the State of Eritrea and its people; again. After telling Eritreans that the “smart sanctions” were not against the people and the country and that they were “targeted” against certain individuals, the truth behind the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions Resolution 1907 have been exposed.

Ethiopia manipulated IGAD and the African Union (AU) and with the help of Susan E. Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN and her contemptuous team at the UN Mission, Security Council members were hoodwinked into believing that the call for sanctions were made by all Africans. It has since become evident that the calls for sanctions were orchestrated by Ethiopia and its handlers.

Here is an excerpt from the draft resolution that was being circulated at the UN Security Council. The draft proposes all countries: “…prohibit their nationals or any person and entities within their territories from making any funds, financial assets or economic resources or financial or other related services available including taxes, directly or indirectly, to the Eritrean government or its officials, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), or any individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction…all states shall prohibit investment by their nationals, persons subject to their jurisdiction and firms incorporated in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction in their extractive industries and mining sectors in Eritrea…”

The draft also proposed a ban on the importation of gold and other raw materials from Eritrea to any UN member country. This is meant to deprive Eritrea of markets to send the minerals to and prevent investors from investing in Eritrea’s mining sector. If that is not a gross and wanton violation of Eritrea’s right to development, what is? Obviously, this has nothing to do with bringing peace and stability to Somalia. It is meant to punish the people of Eritrea. It is a shameful act and the UN should not be party to such crimes against Eritrea and its people.

Susan Rice claims to have the support of the Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD), but IGAD does not represent Africa and it only represents the ill wishes of the leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, who are parties to the conflict in Somalia and can hardly be considered to be impartial. Rubber stamping the minority regime in Ethiopia’s evil intentions against the State of Eritrea and its people will cripple and undermine the integrity of IGAD even further.

Neither Gabon nor Nigeria is part of IGAD, and there is no African Union call for further sanctions against the State of Eritrea. Ethiopia and its handlers were unable to secure such a resolution in Maputo as they did in Libya in 2009. It should be recalled that it was in violation of the African Union’s own rules that in a meeting chaired by Ethiopia that the cal for sanctions against Eritrea were made. 28-member CENSAD rejected the sanctions against Eritrea and most importantly, the people of Eirtrea have rejected the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions and have been calling for their annulment and repeal as they violate Eritrea’s rights as well the AU and UN Charters.

Today, Gabon and Nigeria are being called to become tools for oppression, suppression and crimes against one of their own, an African state, instead of becoming the voice for Africans on the Council? It is also surprising that Nigeria, the country that was calling on the African Diaspora to play its due role in the development of Africa would be the country that would sponsor a resolution to stifle and strangulate the development of Eritrea, a member state. Would Gabon and Nigeria allow the same racist process to be used against their own people?

H.E. Prof. U Joy, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations, delivered a speech on the 31 May 2011 as the UN celebrated Africa Day, held in commemoration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (now African Union) on 25 May 1963. This year’s Africa Day theme was “Africa and the Diaspora”. In her speech, “Forging closer ties with Africans in the Diaspora”, Ambassador Joy said the following:

“…the journey to the construction of the ‘Great Africa Architecture’ cannot be complete without building bridges the vital bridges to connect Africa’s sprawling Diaspora to its aspirations of maintaining the continent as a home-base. The years of lamentations about the negative consequences of Africa’s brain drain are over. We now know that those who left the shores of the continent did not turn their backs on us. Indeed, they have maintained and strengthened their familial, political and economic ties with the continent….Therefore, as we strive to build the new Africa, the first imperative must be to include our sisters, brothers, and children overseas in our common development agenda. In order to profit from the human capital of our global family, it is imperative that the African identity reflects the strength of those of us who have settled elsewhere…”

The Nigerian Ambassador outlined “specific areas where their contribution is critical to Africa’s renewal”. The 4 areas mentioned in her speech were:

1. “…resource mobilization; a potent instrument in addressing the continent’s resource gaps, including those arising from the economic meltdown which Africa had limited capacity to cope with. The new Diaspora, with relations in their countries of origin, is indispensable in this respect. Through remittances, the African Diaspora has supported education, health and welfare programmes in their home countries… We must build on this like a scaffold…”

2. “…There is a pressing need for advocacy for Africa which continues to suffer from a negative portrayal outside our borders. Along with African Missions, Africans in Diaspora can assist the continent in mitigating Africa’s image problem in their continents of domicile. Closely related to this, is the need for the Diaspora to be the instrument in building international support for Africa…”

3. “…no society can attain development without the accumulation of a scientific and technological body of knowledge. Africa would rely on the Diaspora for technological research and development…”

4. “…with the transformation of Africa’s democratic institutions, and with improved transparency and economic productivity, Africa is becoming a major investment destination. Indeed, the ground is fertile, Africans in the Diaspora, no doubt, will be key in instilling best business practices in all of our burgeoning economies…”

5. “…Building a nation or a continent is a challenging and time consuming task. Yet, it can be done through the cumulative, consistent efforts of all stakeholders. We must begin by building bridges to Africans wherever they may be in order to foster our bond of unity and complement domestic efforts…”

So why is the Eritrean Diaspora being targeted by the UN for doing exactly what the Nigerian Ambassador called for just a few months ago? Why is the UN being used to violate the rights of the Eritrean people to development their country, to fulfill their dreams and aspirations? Why are the rights of the Eritrean people being subordinated in order to appease a war mongering belligerent minority regime in Ethiopia who has already destabilized each and every nation in the Horn? When is the UN Security Council going to shoulder its moral and legal obligations under the UN Charter and stop becoming a tool for the suppression of the rights of the Eritrean people in Eritrea and in the Diaspora?

As for IGAD, it has been manipulated by the region in Ethiopia and no longer functions as an independent entity. It has, unfortunately become an extension of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and has greatly undermined its credibility and integrity. As a regional organization, it has failed to stand up to the guiding principles and goals, which were to:

[] “…Promote joint development strategies and gradually harmonize macro-economic policies and programmes in the social, technological and scientific fields…”

[] “…Harmonize policies with regard to trade, customs, transport, communications, agriculture, and natural resources, and promote free movement of goods, services, and people within the region…”

[] “…Create an enabling environment for foreign, cross-border and domestic trade and investment…”

[] “…Achieve regional food security and encourage and assist efforts of Member States to collectively combat drought and other natural and man-made disasters and their natural consequences…”

[] “…Initiate and promote programmes and projects to achieve regional food security and sustainable development of natural resources and environment protection, and encourage and assist efforts of Member States to collectively combat drought and other natural and man-made disasters and their consequences…”

So how can an organization that purports to support the development of its member states and one that calls for cooperation between them call for sanctions and strangulation of Eritrea’s economy? Instead of promoting trade, it is working to stifle it. Instead of enabling foreign investment, it is calling for a ban on investment in Eritrea, instead of achieving food security, it is attempting to starve the Eritrean people, instead of promoting sustainable development, and it is promoting war, invasions and occupations of sovereign states.

Sadly, IGAD has been reduced to an instrument of war and destruction. It has been used by Ethiopia and its handlers as a tool to suppress the rights of the people in the region and to advance illegal, illicit and down right criminal adventures in the Horn region. It does not represent the dreams and aspirations of the people of the region and has instead being used to kill, the people and their dreams to live in peace and security within their own internationally recognized borders.

The UN Security Council must reject Ethiopia’s manipulation of IGAD and the African Union, the regional African organizations, and call for respect for international law and the UN Charter. It must investigate the erroneous fabrications and allegations that have been presented by Ethiopia and its handlers and reject any calls for further injustices against the State of Eritrea and its people. Crimes against the State of Eritrea using the Security Council as a cover should not be allowed.